Healthy Pumpkin Oat Cookies
These healthy pumpkin oat cookies are more of a nutritious snack than a decadent cookie but they’re still delicious and satisfying. You’ll need less than 20 minutes and just 3 ingredients to make them.
Why Make this Recipe
- low-calorie – without the extras, these cookies are less than 80 calories each
- 3-ingredient – the most basic version of this recipe calls for just 3 simple ingredients
- dietary restriction and allergy-friendly – this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and can be sugar-free
What You’ll Need
- Oats. Rolled oats, old-fashioned oats, and quick oats are all suitable.
- Pumpkin. Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I suggest canned pumpkin but homemade also works.
- Sweetener. The cookies can be sweetened with coconut sugar, maple syrup or agave. For a sugar-free cookie, use liquid or powder stevia or monk fruit sweetener.
Quick Note: Optional but recommended ingredients include cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice and chocolate chips.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Mix all of the ingredients together to form a thick dough. There’s no need to worry about over-mixing, just keep working it together until you have a uniform dough.
Step 2. Form the batter into 12 cookie shapes using your hands and place them on a baking sheet.
Quick Note: These cookies will not spread or change shape during baking so be sure to create the shape you want before baking.
Step 3. Bake the cookies!
They need just 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes then enjoy warm or let cool before storing.
Tips and FAQs
- Pumpkin. Good quality pumpkin puree will make a big difference in these cookies. I recommend Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin and if you can’t find that, E.D. Smith will do the trick.
- Add-ins. These cookies are easily customizable with your favorite add-ins. Mix and match up to 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, pumpkin seeds, coconut, chocolate chips and raisins.
- Spices. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use 1 tsp of cinnamon plus a pinch of ground ginger and nutmeg if you have them. If not, just cinnamon is good too!
What do they taste like?
These taste more like a health food cookie than a dessert but they’re still hearty, yummy and satisfying. The texture is soft and somewhat like baked oatmeal or a hearty muffin.
If you’re looking for a super sweet, decadent dessert, this isn’t it but these are great for a pre or post-workout snack or healthier option to satisfy a craving. I recommend adding the chocolate chips to make these more of a treat!
How should I store them?
Let the cookies cool after baking then store at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 6 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
- 3-Ingredient Tahini Date Cookies
- Carrot Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies
For more pumpkin recipes, check out this collection of the best vegan pumpkin recipes. Extra pumpkin? This coconut pumpkin pasta is a must.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Healthy Pumpkin Oat Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
While tasty and satisfying, these healthy pumpkin oat cookies are more of a simple, healthy snack than a decadent dessert or sweet cookie. Chocolate chips are recommended!
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups (250 g) rolled oats or quick oats
- 1 cup (240 g) pure pumpkin puree
- 3 tbsp maple syrup, agave syrup or coconut sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, optional but recommended
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, optional but recommended
- pinch of salt, optional but recommended
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all ingredients, including the optional ingredients if using, in a bowl to form a thick dough. If your’e adding any additional ingredients like nuts, seeds or coconut, add those as well. Start with 3 tbsp of sweetener and adjust sweetness as desired. The cookies are not very sweet with 3 tbsp and this can be increased if desired.
- Use your hands to create 12 cookie shapes. The cookies will not spread or change shape during baking so be sure to create the shape you want before baking.
- Prepare a baking pan with parchment paper or place cookies directly on the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and enjoy warm after a few minutes. Let cool completely before storing. Store at in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
These are a soft cookie, the texture is like baked oatmeal. They are not a decadent dessert or sweet cookie but more of a functional and healthy treat/snack. I would highly recommend adding the chocolate chips, cinnamon/pumpkin pie spice and you may want to add a pinch of salt as well, as they’re fairly bland without. You may also want to increase the sweetener as they’re not very sweet as is. They’re still good with just the 3 ingredients but just a heads up if you’re used to sweeter treats or looking for a dessert, you may find these plain and I’d suggest trying a different recipe.
Other add-ins that work well for a more flavourful cookie are up to 1 cup total of: shredded coconut, walnuts or chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use cinnamon plus a pinch of ginger and nutmeg if you have them. If you only have cinnamon that’s fine.
I recommend using the best pumpkin puree you can find as it will make a difference in the texture and sweetness of the cookies. The best one I’ve found and my go-to for all my pumpkin recipes is Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin. It’s super smooth and creamy and has a delicious, subtly sweet pumpkin flavor that works wonderfully in recipes.
Nutrition facts include oats, pumpkin and 3 tbsp of maple syrup. If using a sugar-free sweetener, they will be 70 calories each. If using maple syrup (or agave or coconut sugar) and adding chocolate chips, they will be 172 calories each.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 79
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 1.5 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published on October 16, 2015. It was updated in April 2020 with new photos and text.
I really enjoyed these cookies! I added pumpkin spice, cinnamon and vanilla. The next day I put them in a mini-waffle iron I have and made them into waffles. I added some sugar free/no carb whipped topping! They were great!
That waffle idea is genius! So glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for the review!
I really really enjoyed this recipe 🙂 I used the provided recipe and added the spices mentioned along with mini chocolate chips and a half a cup of peanut butter . Soooo tasty !! 😀 thanks for sharing !
I used this recipe as a base for protein bars.
I used 1.5 cups of oats and roughly 4 scoops of protein. Added baking powder. Mixed and added about a tablespoon of water for consistency purposes. Followed your directions for everything else. They turned out good and will be a perfect pre/post workout. Much healthier and cheaper than buying protein bars too. Thanks!
That’s awesome..I do the same sometimes and bake them in a pan. Comes out great!
I’m intrigued about the idea of using this to make protein bars. How much baking powder would you add, and what protein powder do you recommend? Or maybe you already have a pumpkin protein bar you can direct me to? Thanks!
Finally, oatmeal cookie recipe that has no nut butter in it. Simple ingredients, very easy to make and we like the taste. Thank you ??
Thanks Lena, glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe is excellent! My husband & I have made it at least 7 times now. I don’t recommend doubling the batch although they were still very good a bit drier than I liked. We got creative a few times adding pure maple syrup coconut and pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup each and tad more pumpkin spice and cinnamon then recommended ..again loved them. Nutritious and delicious.
That’s awesome! I love the additions you used. I agree, nutritious and delicious! Thanks for the review and feedback.
Loved these! Used 2 Tbsp sugar in place of Stevia, cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate chips! Kids and hubby loved them
That’s awesome! I love getting feedback on the sweetener amounts used. Everyone has such a different taste preference. Glad you guys enjoyed them.
Switched out a banana for part of the pumpkin, and added a little bit of flax seeds because I didn’t think it would stay together. Loved it! I put in more sweetener than it called for (I think. Made the batter to-taste) and they are perfect. Chewier than what I was expecting, so I cooked them about 5 mins extra. Will definitely make again.
Awesome – so glad you enjoyed them. I love the banana addition!
Can I use quick oats instead?
Yes, you can use quick oats. They’ll have a slightly different texture and you may need just a bit more if the batter seems to wet, other than that it’s totally fine!
I just made them but had to improvise because I don’t use stevia; used a Tbsp of honey. The ground cinnamon I had was no good so I crushed a cinnamon stick. I only used one cup of rolled oats. So they turned out bland even after putting in:
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp of pure vanilla
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 ground nutmeg
1/4 ginger
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 cup rolled oats.
Just made them, love my pumpkin . Never used stevia and did 1 pack at first, thought could be little sweeter so went for 2 and I should’ve stopped at the 1 pack, added all the pumkin spices and a little nuts, they are pretty bland but it is for more of the health , they are eatable for on the go . May add a couple of chocolate chips just to help satisfy the sweet tooth part of me, but will not over do it.
Thanks, great recipe
Thanks Margaret. Glad you enjoyed them and thanks very much for your feedback!